1st TSC and 451st ESC Share Information during Conference

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Leaders from the 1st Theater Sustainment Command and the 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command came together to share information with the Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM) during Reverse Collection and Analysis Team (R-CAAT) conference April 11 and 12 at Fort Lee, Va.

The R-CAAT program brings commanders and some of their direct support staff of recently redeployed logistics organizations in theater to CASCOM to provide lessons learned that can be used to adjust sustainment products across the doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, and facilities (DOTMLPF) domains.

"The R-CAAT is essentially us being able to talk directly to the doctrine writing entities," said Cpt. Jeremie Lasseigne, plans officer, 1st TSC. "So when we come here to say we need people or we need more contracting, we are talking to the individuals who can affect change."

The two-day event began with a brief to set the scene while discussing challenges in mission command as well as the structure of the TSC and the ESC. Other topics covered during the brief included knowledge management, distribution operations, watercraft maintenance, munitions management, the logistics common operating picture and pre-deployment training.

Directorate round-table sessions followed the discussion where leaders shared their observations and best practices on numerous issues that affect the sustainment community.

"One of the biggest experiments they put out there was the creation of the Strategic Operations and Plans (SOaP) team which seemed to work very well," said Lasseigne. "Having a dedicated team to pull the plans in a certain direction is essential to rebuilding our logistics lines."

Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Prokopchak, Sustainment Integration and Analysis non-commissioned officer, CASCOM said the knowledge provided by the 1st TSC and 451st was useful.

"The cumulative knowledge provided by the 1st TSC and 451st has been invaluable to doctrine, training, and combat developers in CASCOM and to junior leaders at sustainment schools allowing them to analyze and scrutinize battle-tested best practices," said Prokopchak. "The result of the R-CAAT process is an improved ability to make doctrinal manuals and platform instruction more effective and relevant to the rapidly changing wartime environment."

For more information about the Army's Sustainment Think Tank visit http://www.cascom.army.mil/index.htm.

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